Mahant of Bageshwar Dham, Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri has said that Sai Baba can be called a saint or fakir, but he cannot be called a God. He has also said that no vulture can pretend to be a lion.
Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Dham Sarkar, is currently conducting a Dharmik preaching in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. During his program, a person named Shailendra Rajput questioned him about the worship of Sai Baba. While answering this question, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri said, “Shankaracharya ji of our Dharma has not given Sai Baba the place of a deity. Shankaracharya is the Prime Minister of the Hindu Dharma. Therefore, obeying him is the duty of every Sanatani. Any saint of our Dharma, be it Goswami Tulsidas ji or Surdas ji, is a saint, a great man, a Yug Purush, a Kalpa Purush but not a God.”
Dhirendra Krishna Shastri also said, “People have their faith. We cannot hurt anyone’s faith. Sai Baba can be a saint, a fakir but he cannot be a God. If I say it in this way, people may call it a controversy, but let me tell you, a vulture cannot pretend to be a lion.”
Giving his example, he further said, “If I dress up like Shankaracharya, take the throne, etc., and say that I am Shankaracharya, will I become Shankaracharya? I cannot. God is God and saints are just saints. One should keep it as one believes. But Sai is not God, our Shankaracharya says.” Regarding the worship of Sai Baba according to Vedic customs, he said, “If someone is coming to Vedic Dharma, then Gharwapasi is our campaign, there is no problem.”
Earlier, citing a judgment by a court, he had said, “The court has said that Sai Baba is not a Sanatani, is not a Hindu, and has also apologized to Shankaracharya. Sai Baba is not God. Man can never be God. A human being can be a guru, a saint, or a great man, but he cannot be a God.”
Dhirendra Krishna Shastri also said in response to a question about the worship of Sai Baba that when Sanatanis have 33 crore gods and goddesses to worship, why is there a need to worship Chand Mian?
He further said that Lord Rama is the most revered God in the world. He is the creator of the world. Who does not believe in him, cannot be believed by anyone. Devotees have protested against the statue of Sai Baba in the temples of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati Maharaj. Shankaracharya ji holds the highest position of Sanatan Dharma. Therefore, Sanatanis should obey them.
